SEO Explained: This Is How You Get Ranked On Google

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is one of the most misunderstood aspects of websites. Many business owners believe it is a simple button that a website specialist can press to make a site appear at the top of Google, and that results come overnight. The reality is very different. SEO is a complex and ongoing strategy that requires constant attention, technical expertise and a deep understanding of how search engines work.

A properly optimised website does not just appear at the top of search results after a couple of tweaks. It needs to earn its place through a structured approach that includes content strategy, technical performance and search engine compliance. To understand why SEO is not something that can be done quickly or cheaply, let us break down what is actually involved.

Keyword Research: Finding What People Are Searching For

SEO begins with identifying what your potential customers are searching for. This is done through keyword research, a process where we analyse search trends to determine which phrases will bring relevant traffic to your website.

It is not as simple as picking a few words and scattering them around a page. Keywords must be chosen based on search volume, competition and user intent. A poorly researched keyword strategy can result in traffic that does not convert, or worse, no traffic at all.

Content and Structure: More Than Just Words

Once the right keywords have been identified, they need to be integrated into the website effectively. This is not just about writing text, it is about structuring content so that search engines understand its importance.

Headings play a crucial role in this. Every page should have a single H1 tag that clearly defines what the page is about. H2 and H3 tags must be used strategically to break up content into digestible sections, ensuring that both users and search engines can navigate the page easily.

Search engines favour well-structured content that is relevant, informative and easy to read. If a website simply stuffs keywords into a page without considering readability, it will likely be penalised rather than rewarded, so it's all about finding the right balance.

Website Speed: Load Times Make or Break Your SEO

Google expects websites to load within two seconds. Anything slower and users will leave, increasing the bounce rate, which negatively affects search rankings. Google PageSpeed Insights is a tool that measures website performance, and it is brutal in its scoring. You need to make sure your Performance is 90+ and your Largest Contentful Paint is below 2 seconds.

To achieve a high PageSpeed score, a website must be:

• Optimised for fast loading with compressed images, minified code and efficient hosting.
• Built without unnecessary plugins or scripts that slow down performance.
• Designed for mobile users, as a slow mobile experience will severely damage rankings.

Many businesses assume their website is fast enough, only to find that it takes four or five seconds to load. By then, most of your potential customers have already left and found a competitor.

Indexing: If Google Cannot Read Your Site, It Does Not Exist

Having a beautifully designed website means nothing if search engines cannot index it. Google sends bots to regularly crawl the internet, and if a website is difficult to navigate, full of broken links or not structured correctly, those bots will struggle to understand its content.

Key steps to ensure proper indexing include:

• Ensuring the website follows best practices for navigation and internal linking.
• Avoiding duplicate content, which confuses search engines and dilutes ranking potential.
• Using a robots.txt file to guide search engine crawlers and prevent them from indexing unnecessary pages.

Without these elements in place, even the most visually impressive website will remain invisible to search engines.

Submitting a Sitemap: Showing Google the Way

A sitemap is a file that tells search engines which pages exist and how they are connected. Without one, Google may not index all of a website’s pages, meaning that important content could be missing from search results.

Submitting a sitemap correctly involves:

• Generating an up-to-date sitemap that includes all essential pages.
• Submitting it through Google Search Console, which allows webmasters to track indexing progress.
• Fixing any errors that Google reports, ensuring there are no issues that could impact visibility.

Many websites either do not have a sitemap or have an outdated one, making it difficult for search engines to understand their structure.

SEO is a Long-Term Investment

SEO is not a one-time fix, nor is it a quick win. It requires ongoing effort, regular updates and continuous monitoring. Google constantly changes its algorithms, and what works today may not work tomorrow.

For a website to rank well, it needs:

• Regular content updates to show Google it is active and relevant.
• Technical maintenance to keep speed and performance at optimal levels.
• Continuous keyword monitoring to ensure that the site is still targeting the right search terms.

Many businesses attempt to cut corners, but without a strategic approach, their SEO efforts will likely be wasted. A properly optimised website is an ongoing project, not a set and forget task. SEO often takes around 6 months to see results, but when you get there, you have a lead generation machine at your disposal.